Tag Archives: Learning Disability

Two Great Days at National Council

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Amy and Christy from Caerphilly People First attended the **All Wales People First National Council meeting on 10th and 11th March at Galeri Caernarfon.🚆 We travelled by train from Cardiff with other staff and members from All Wales People First, and the journey was smooth.

🗓️ Day 1

We started by going through the minutes from the last meeting.
We checked the actions that had been completed and asked questions if anything was unclear.
👨‍💼 Joe Powell, Chief Executive of All Wales People First, gave us an update about the important work they are doing across Wales.
🗣️ Speaking up for Caerphilly
Amy spoke on behalf of our members.
She shared concerns about:
💻 GP appointments moving online
📱 The new e-consultation system for booking appointments.
Amy explained that some people with learning disabilities may find online systems difficult to use.
👏 We are very proud of Amy for speaking up and sharing our members’ views.
💬 National Council Review
All the representatives had a chance to talk about:
✅ What is working well
⚠️ What could be improved
There were really good discussions and lots of positive ideas shared.

🗓️ Day 2

We were joined on Zoom by the Senedd Engagement Team who gave a presentation about voting.
🗳️ Voting is important because:

  • Your voice matters
  • You can help choose who makes decisions
  • It helps create change in your community
    📅 Remember: Elections are in May.
    🏡 Homes Not Hospitals
    Joe also shared an update about the Homes Not Hospitals campaign.
    This campaign is about making sure people with learning disabilities can live in their homes and communities with the right support, instead of staying in hospital for long periods.
    Everyone agreed this is really important work.
    📱 Sharing Social Media Ideas
    We also had some group discussions and shared ideas for good social media posts.

It was great to see everyone:
😊 Taking part
💡 Sharing ideas
🗣️ Talking about their lived experiences
🚶‍♀️ A Lovely Walk Around Caernarfon

We also enjoyed a lovely morning walk around Caernarfon. It is a beautiful place with lots of history. We saw the famous Caernarfon Castle, a huge medieval castle built over 700 years ago by King Edward I. The castle is a very important part of Welsh history and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 🏰 It was great to see such an amazing place while we were there.

It was also really nice to Catch up with other People First members, and spend time with the All Wales People First team. Thank you to everyone for a friendly, positive and productive National Council meeting!

No Cash, No Rights Protest

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Yesterday we joined together outside the senedd alongside Torfaen People First ,Cwm Taff people first, All Wales People First, and other People First groups and Mencap for a peaceful protest about something that really matters ❤️

No cash = no rights.

For many adults with learning disabilities, cash isn’t just money — it’s independence, choice, and control. Not everyone has a bank card. Not everyone can use a cash machine. Some people in supported living are given a cash allowance to manage their daily lives. Taking cash away takes away freedom. We need a society where people can choose cash and card — not one or the other. Because real inclusion means making sure everyone can take part.

We made our voices heard loud and proud 🎶
We sang a brilliant song written by Cwm Taff members and chanted: “Keep cash, keep choice, listen to every voice!”

This is so important. A cashless society risks leaving people behind — and that’s not okay. Everyone deserves to feel confident, included, and in control of their own money. After the protest, we had a lovely walk around the bay and enjoyed some ice cream 🍦 …but unfortunately, they didn’t take cash — which just shows exactly why this campaign matters. Thank you Cwm Taff People First for inviting us to join you at this important protest 🪧🗣💸

Let’s keep raising awareness.
Let’s keep pushing for change.
Let’s keep cash, keep choice, and listen to every voice 💬✨

Reconnect Through Music Session ☀️🎶

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Today’s Reconnect Through Music session was a fantastic success, with a brilliant turnout on a beautiful sunny day 🌞. The room was full, creating a lively and welcoming atmosphere as everyone came together to enjoy over 20 amazing performances from our talented members 🎤✨.

We kicked off the session in style with Ellysia performing Dancing Queen by ABBA 💃, instantly getting everyone in the mood. Anthony kept the energy high with Higher and Higher by Jackie Wilson 🎶, followed by Sean’s great rendition of Oh Julie by Shakin’ Stevens 🎤. Amy delivered a powerful performance of Undo by Sanna Nielsen 🌟, and Kelvin brought plenty of charm with Living Doll by Cliff Richard 🎸. Alongside these, there were many other wonderful performances that kept the room buzzing throughout.

It was brilliant to see so many smiling faces 😊, with members singing along, dancing 💃🕺, and really enjoying the session together. The atmosphere was, as always, warm, inclusive, and full of positivity. We were also delighted to welcome two new members, Benjamin and Callum 👋—it was great to have you join us!

A big thank you goes to Pete for setting everything up 🎛️, and to Christy, Cheryl, and Helen for preparing a lovely lunch 🍽️. Most importantly, thank you to all our members who continue to make each session so memorable 💙.

💬 Feedback from today:
🗣️ “I love this session so much, with all my friends around me.” – Anthony
🗣️ “It’s a helpful and happy atmosphere, and fun.” – Ceri

We’re already looking forward to the next session! 🎶✨

Reconnect Through Music – What a Day!

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We had an absolutely brilliant session yesterday, with an incredible 27 songs performed! 🎤💫 The energy was amazing from start to finish

It was so lovely to see Matilda again, who wowed us with songs from The Little Mermaid 🧜‍♀️ and K-Pop Demon Hunters 🎶🔥. Sean brought the vibes with Tears for Fears 🎹, while Susan had everyone singing along to Living Next Door to Alice 🚪🎵.

We loved the duet from Ffion & Amy singing Olly Murs 💕🎤, and Chris gave us a fantastic It’s Not Unusual 🕺. Anthony performed Hopelessly Devoted to You ❤️, and Christine got the whole room moving with Shut Up and Dance 💃🕺 (and yes… many people DID dance!).

A huge thank you to everyone who shared their amazing talents 🌟👏 — you made the session so special. The hall was packed (big thanks to Pete for setting everything up 🙌), and the delicious pizza 🍕 prepared by Christy & Zoe was a big hit!

💬 Feedback from the group:
Cheryl enjoyed meeting friends 🤝😊
Paula loved singing and chatting 🎶💬
Anthony said he loves everyone and that he’s a karaoke legend! 🎤👑

Thank you all for making it such a joyful and memorable day! 🎉🎶💖

Democracy & Voting Workshop

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A big THANK YOU to Gerraint and Simon from Learning Disability Wales for delivering a fantastic workshop yesterday! 🙌 With the Senedd elections coming up on May 7th 2026, it was the perfect time to learn all about democracy and voting. We had great fun using the pop-up voting station 🗳

👉 Different ways to vote:
In person at a polling station 🏫
By post 📮
By proxy (someone you trust votes for you) 👥

👉 How to register to vote:
You can register online 🌐
You need your details (like National Insurance number)
Make sure you register before the deadline ⏰

👉 How to find your constituency in Caerphilly borough:
Visit the UK Government website 🔍
Enter your postcode 📍
It tells you where you vote and who represents you

We also got creative making our democracy paper chain ⛓️💡We shared ideas about what we want to see changed and improved in our communities! Why voting is important:

It gives you a voice 🗣️
It helps shape your future 🌍
Everyone’s vote matters ❤️

Our members really enjoyed this fun and informative session 😄 We learned so much and had a great time together! 👏 Thanks again to Gerraint and Simon for making it so engaging!

Reconnect through Cookery 🍝❤️

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What a lovely session we had on Friday!! We made a delicious spaghetti Bolognese served with warm garlic bread, topped off with a sprinkle of cheddar 🧀✨ Our members got hands-on preparing fresh ingredients like celery, carrots, mushrooms, and onions 🥕🍄🧅—and it tasted amazing! We also sang Happy Birthday to our wonderful volunteer Anthony 🎂🥳 who recently celebrated his birthday—enjoy your cake, lovely man! 💛

A huge thank you to all our wonderful volunteers for your support today 💛 Special thanks to Sian for helping out and bringing the fun with bingo 🎉 and to Sarah for being our brilliant quiz master 🧠👏 It was so lovely seeing everyone enjoying themselves, sharing laughs, and sitting down together for lunch 😊🍽️ We’ll see you Wednesday for music! 🎶💃🕺

🍽️✨ Reconnect through Cookery ✨🍽️

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What a lovely session we had on Friday! 💛 We made a delicious tuna pasta bake 🐟🍝 and a tasty sausage pasta bake 🌭🍝, served with warm garlic bread 🧄🍞😋 Our members got hands-on preparing a fresh, healthy salad 🥗 with lettuce 🥬, tomatoes 🍅, onions 🧅, and peppers 🫑 — it looked as good as it tasted! 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳

The room was filled with a relaxed, happy vibe 😊✨ Everyone was in great spirits, enjoying themselves and each other’s company 💛🤗 It really was a warm, friendly atmosphere all around 🥰🌟 A big thank you to all our amazing volunteers 🙌💙 for your support — we couldn’t do it without you 👏✨

🎶✨ Reconnect Through Music – Great Vibes! ✨🎶

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What an incredible session we had today! 🌟 This morning, our group absolutely smashed our previous record by singing an amazing 31 songs 🎤🎉 — what a milestone! We enjoyed a fantastic mix of music spanning decades and genres 🎵🕺, showing just how diverse and vibrant our group is. Some standout moments included:

🌈 Ffion and Amy bringing fun and energy with The Gummy Bear Song 🐻🎶
🎭 Tilly with two songs by Panic! at the Disco 🎤🔥
💖 Morgan serenading us with Mandy
🌟 Mandy delivering a beautiful rendition of Against All Odds by Phil Collins
💃 Anthony filling the room with joy through Love Is in the Air (and it truly was! ❤️)
🎩 Chris entertaining us with Leave Your Hat On
🎧 Dennis getting everyone moving with Dance Monkey 🕺🎶

The atmosphere was absolutely lush 🌿💫 — full of smiles 😊, laughter 😂, and brilliant dancing 💃🕺. It was wonderful to see everyone so engaged and enjoying themselves! A big thank you goes out to:

👏 Pete for getting everything set up
🍽️ Christy, Zoe, and Cheryl for preparing a delicious lunch
🎶 Amy and Ffion for keeping the music flowing smoothly

We’re already looking forward to the next session… can we beat our record again and hit 32 songs? 🎯🎤 See you all next time! 💛🎶

🌟🧘‍♀️ Stretch, Connect & Belong 🧘‍♂️🌟

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Our brand new Stretch, Connect & Belong project started yesterday at Fleur-de-lis Community Centre and will run for 10 sessions every Tuesday from 1pm–2pm, followed by 30 minutes for a cuppa ☕, a chat 💬 and session feedback 📝 — a lovely chance to connect and build friendships.

Our first session began with calming breathing and stretching exercises 🌬️💚, followed by lots of fun as our members chose a yoga pose from the surprise bag 🎁🧘. There were plenty of smiles and laughter 😊. Some members used mats, while others chose to use a chair — showing these sessions are truly accessible and inclusive for all ♿💙. For our breathing exercises we used beautiful chiffon scarves 🌈, and we finished with a peaceful relaxation session to soothing music 🎶✨ under soft ceiling lights, leaving everyone feeling calm, refreshed and uplifted.

Sessions like this are so important for people with learning disabilities because they help to:

💚 reduce anxiety and stress
💚 improve movement, balance and flexibility
💚 build confidence and independence
💚 encourage social connection and friendships
💚 reduce isolation and loneliness
💚 support emotional wellbeing and mindfulness
💚 create a safe, welcoming space where everyone belongs 🤝

A huge thank you to Lisa Harwood 💐 for such a wonderful start to our project, and thank you to our amazing members and volunteers for bringing such positive energy — everyone absolutely loved it! 🌟💖 Here’s to the next session! 🧘☕💬